


Make Every Second Count

by IrxnStrxnge



Series: IronStrange Week 2019 [3]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Loss, Love Confessions, M/M, Magic, Stephen Strange And His Piss Poor Relationship Skills
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-22
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2020-03-09 08:17:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18913090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IrxnStrxnge/pseuds/IrxnStrxnge
Summary: IronStrange Week 2019 | Prompt Three: 10 Years LaterStephen would be back any moment now.Yes, any moment now.





	Make Every Second Count

“Be careful, okay?”

“Don’t worry. I will be.”   
  
“Promise?”

“Tony, don’t be childish.”

“I’m not! I am  _ worried _ . That’s a big difference.”

He watched as Stephen turned away from the enormous portal in front of them to face him instead. No matter how hard Tony squinted, he could see nothing but black on the other side of the weird, orange-glowing ring.

Perhaps Stephen could.

Right now, though, he wasn’t focusing on the portal. He was too busy fixating Tony with a stare which was apparently meant to shut him up. That would work better if Tony didn’t love his eyes and the way they flashed when he was mad at something- or someone. He grinned back at him.

Stephen crossed his arms over his chest like a tired parent dealing with an insufferable toddler and huffed in irritation. “Listen, I get that you are worried about me but I do this for a living. It’s my job.” He gave a dismissive wave in Tony’s direction. “It’s not like I make a fuss like that whenever you put on the suit and fly off to god-knows-where.”   
  
For the shortest moment, there was silence in which Tony waited for Stephen to take those words back. He didn’t. “Stephen,”, he softly started, noticing how the sorcerer raised a questioning eyebrow. “That’s exactly what you do. In fact, I am pretty sure you follow me when I am on a mission.”   
  
“Do you have proof for that?” The answer came way too quickly, practically shooting out of Stephen’s mouth. Tony couldn’t hide his smirk, something the other man didn’t seem to appreciate. “Oh, shut up.”   
  
“I didn’t say anything!” His answer was drowned by Stephen’s loud groan.    
  
“I am just going to leave before you start doing your happy-dance.” Oh, now he was taking it too far. Criticising his dance skills was a big no-go.    
  
“Come on, you love my dancing which, by the way, is amazing. Thank you very much.” He made a little mock bow, arms outstretched - and received an eye roll in return. “Besides, most of the time, you are only gone for like 10 seconds.”    
  
“For you. It’s usually a bit longer for me.” Stephen smirked at him, eyes twinkling with mischief. “Exploring dimensions is really nice when you annoy me.”    
  
“That’s just cold, Stephen.”

“Are you offended?”   
  
“Well, yes!” Tony growled, honestly offended and a bit hurt. He saw Stephen’s jaw twitch before he played it off with a smirk.    
  
“So needy.”, he muttered softly to himself. Tony still heard it.   
  
“Hey!”

“Ah, forget it. I hope this portal just sucks me in and never spits me back out.” And before Tony could retort anything to that, Stephen stepped through the portal. A fuzzy feeling overcame him as he watched the black void swallow him whole in just a matter of heartbeats.    
  
He still couldn’t see what was awaiting Stephen on the other side but he forced himself to believe that it was nothing dangerous. Even if, the man was one of the most powerful beings in the world and could handle himself. Hopefully.    
  
Still, every time he was faced with this situation, it made him feel on edge. Most of the time, it was just a few seconds but in these few seconds, he couldn’t control the fear that was making itself at home in the pit of his stomach.    
  
Stephen would be back any moment now.    
  
Yes, any moment now.

...   
  
Right now, please. 

Tony bit his tongue, trying his best not to call out to him. Stephen already thought he was acting needy, there was no reason to give him more fuel to light this fire. The urge to step closer to the black void was still strong, however.

The sorcerer had forbidden him from ever following into other dimensions. It wasn’t that he didn’t think him capable of handling whatever was on the other side. No, it was more the fact that he could easily get lost there, given the fact that time, space and reality didn’t work as they did on earth.

Tony blinked. There was still no one in front of him. He blinked again, checked the time on his phone - and the clock on the wall, just to be sure. It was probably nothing. Hopefully. 

Definitely. 

“Screw it.”, Tony muttered to himself and started to skip through his contact in search for Wong’s name. He didn’t care if Stephen called him needy as long as he was here to say it to his face.    


He was just about to click on the call option when a loud roar echoed in the room. It almost made him drop his phone. His eyes snapped up to the pulsating and glowing ring in the room. The orange sparks that were shooting through the room caused him to fling himself on the floor, hands above his head. He heard something toppling off a shelf and crashing to the floor where it shattered.    
  
He briefly lifted his head to take a look at the mess currently unfolding. A bright flash of light blinded him and forced him to squeeze his eyes shut. Another loud crack hit his ears, this one closer to the sound of a giant whiplash.    
  
Then, there was silence.   
  
Tony refused to open his eyes, scared that there was the possibility of the portal being gone… and Stephen nowhere in sight.    
  
But then someone groaned. It was a painful groan and Tony was sure it wasn’t coming from him. That only left-

His eyes shot open and he took a long and deep breath, utterly relieved. “Thank god.”, he softly muttered and scrambled to his feet and towards the other man. “Quite a fright you gave me there, you ass.” 

Stephen didn’t respond. He was lying face down on the floor. Tony stopped dead in his tracks. “Stephen…?” Nothing. His clothes were torn apart, numerous rips in the fabric, even the damned cloak was dirty and damaged on some parts. “Hey!” He didn’t know who he was addressing, Stephen or the cloak.    


His body finally caught up with his brain and he resumed his walk towards the definitely unconscious man. Yes, unconscious. He crouched down in front of him, softly rolling him on his back. “Come on, Stephen. Get up.”, he demanded while observing his lovers face.    
  
Somehow it managed to look worse than his clothes. Tony frowned. His goatee had been replaced with a full grown beard and his skin had an unhealthy, pale colour to it. He leaned closer to take a better look at the wounds covering his face.

Stephen’s eyes blinked open. For a moment, he just stared at the man holding him. Tony tried to give him a reassuring smile and lifted his head to push some of the loose curls out of his face. 

He decided to ignore the dried blood and dirt in them.    
  
“T-Tony?” The smiled on his lips died. His voice was so hoarse, so fragile like he hadn’t used it in weeks. That wasn’t possible. He had only been gone a minute. “Is that… is that really you?”

_ ‘Besides, most of the time, you are only gone for like 10 seconds.’ _ __  
_  
_ __ ‘For you. It’s usually a bit longer for me.’

“Yeah, it’s me, Stephen. You’re back.” He stroked his cheek, fingers careful in avoiding the places where the skin was broken. “You’re fine.” The sorcerer let out a shaking breath, hands flying up and gripping his color. Tony was sure that if Stephen had any strength left in him that the grip would be a lot stronger.

“Please-”, he softly whispered with wet eyes. “Please, tell me that this isn’t an illusion.” He tried to pull him closer. Tony obliged. “Tell me this is real.” His other hand came up to carefully remove Stephen’s hand. He held it softly, their finger intervening.

“I promise you, Stephen. This is real.” He gazed down at him. “I am real.” The sorcerer’s eyes darted to their connected hands.    
  
“I did it. I made it home.” Tony wasn’t sure if it was meant for his ears or if Stephen just didn’t realise that he had said that aloud. “I missed you so much, Tony.”    
  
He swallowed the lump in his throat. “You were only gone a minute.”, he tried to explain but his voice died when he saw the way Stephen stared at him. “Which is longer than ever before but still-”   
  
“A minute.”, he repeated to himself, his breathing starting to get heavy. “A single minute.”   
  
“Stephen, please, don’t stress yourself. I have to get you to a hospital.” Tony changed his position as he tried to pull Stephen up. He wasn’t being cooperative though and the genius clenched his teeth, torn between wanting to just push him up and scared that he would hurt him while doing so. “Come on, it looks like you lost a lot of blood-”   
  
“I don’t need a doctor.” This sounded more like the normal Stephen.    
  
“Yes, you do. Have you seen yourself?”

But he was being relentless. “I don’t need a doctor, Tony.”   
  
“Alright, get up by yourself and I will drop the subject.” Stephen glared at him. “Can we not fight about this? I just want the best for you.”   
  
“I didn’t need a doctor during the last 10 years and I don’t need one now so I would really appreciate if we could, indeed, drop the subject.” Tony’s brows furrowed.    
  
“Listen here. I know you are a doctor and all but if you don’t stop this stubborn-” His mouth remained open but there were no words coming out of it. His brain finally had processed those last words. “10 years.” His lungs had a hard time breathing in air. “Stephen…”   
  
“I lost my way.”, he gasped out. “And I couldn’t go back. I couldn’t. I tried, Tony, believe me. I tried but somehow I just went deeper and deeper into the dark.” Tony closed his eyes, unable to bear Stephen’s tears. He could barely listen to his broken words and apology.    
  
“Stephen-”   
  
“I am so sorry about how I left things with you.” He should get them both up, should get him to a hospital and let him sleep cause, Christ, he looked like he needed it but listening to his broken voice, full of desperation - he couldn’t bring himself to do anything but to keep on listening.

“I shouldn’t have said these things. I shouldn’t have disregarded your fears like that.” Tony subconsciously tightened his hold on Stephen’s hand. “Can you imagine how it is to live like that? With the fear that those might be the last words I ever said to you.”    
  
“It’s alright.”, he softly whispered, fingers stroking the sorcerer’s cheek and unkempt goatee. “Those weren’t the last words you said to me.” He wiped away the tear that was rolling down his face, mixing itself with the blood and dirt.    
  
Stephen nodded slightly before repeating his earlier words. “I missed you so much.” He reached out with his hand and Tony leaned in as he cupped his face. “I almost forgot how you looked. So handsome.”    
  
He turned his head to briefly kiss Stephen’s shaking fingers. He didn’t know how else he could calm him down. “I know it’s not the same but I missed you too and even if you were just gone for a minute here on earth, I was still scared.”   
  
“Your voice is so much softer than I remember it to be.” Tony felt him shift and helped him as he slowly sat up. “I’m sorry for scaring you.”    
  
“It’s okay but your eyes are starting to glaze over-” and not because of the tears. “So I will take you to the hospital now. No objections allowed.”   
  
“Alright.”   
  
“I said- oh.” Tony hadn’t expected that. He really needed to get him to a doctor.    
  
“But first.” Stephen started to lean in, both hands now cupping his face. Tony closed his eyes just as their lips connected. The sorcerer's lips were chapped and dry and he could taste the blood he was losing more than he could taste  _ Stephen _ but he treasured it anyway. He couldn’t even fathom how much this kiss must have meant for the other man. 

He couldn’t really wrap his head around the whole situation in general.   
  
Tomorrow, it would probably hit him how close he had come to losing him and he’d have a breakdown, resulting in him refusing to let go of Stephen for the next 24 hours.

Right now, he decided to focus on Stephen’s lips and his warmth. The sorcerer pulled back, their heads still so close that Tony could see the spots of colour in his eyes. 

“I love you.”    
  
Even though there was barely space between them, Tony almost missed the confession. He didn’t know how to respond. Stephen had never said those words to him before. “I spent so many years saying it out loud, hoping you could hear it.” He nuzzled his nose or maybe he was just using his face as a rest in case he would pass out.    
  
“I heard you.”, Tony answered, close to tears himself. “And I love you, too.” No sooner had the words left his mouth did Stephen slump and promptly pass out in his arms. Tony hadn’t expected it and almost fell onto his back.    
  
He cursed silently and managed to get himself and Stephen up - only thanks to the Cloaks help. “Let’s get you to the hospital.”, he murmured and pressed a quick kiss to the sorcerer’s forehead. “There will be time to sort this out later.”   
  
Time. 

Tony desperately hoped that they really hadn’t lost too much of it. 

**Author's Note:**

> Stephen really has to watch his mouth sometimes.


End file.
